Veterans Services

By Tara Copp: The Navy is launching an investigation into whether the operating conditions at the military commissions site at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, are tied to a reported high rate of cancer among the personnel assigned there.

07/31/2015 - 09:16

Posted by: kcampbell

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By Phaedra Haywood: Hundreds of soldiers who’ve come home from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan now are battling the very companies that helped operate their base camps, claiming constant exposure to toxins from open-air burn pits has wrecked their health.

07/31/2015 - 09:06

Posted by: kcampbell

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By Abigail Curtis: A bill named for a Washington County, Maine, woman and designed to help veterans who have survived sexual assault in the military was passed Monday night by the U.S. House of Representatives.

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H.R. 571 would limit the amount of awards and bonuses paid to employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and would modify the department’s personnel policies for employees in the Senior Executive Service (SES). In addition, the bill would prescribe a comprehensive process for handling complaints by whistleblowers. CBO estimates that implementing H.R.

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By Robyn Mincher, Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center:The Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (DVBIC) is recruiting survivors of traumatic brain injuries (TBI) to share their stories of courage and resilience for its A Head for the Future TBI awareness and prevention initiative. These “TBI champions” will show the importance of recognizing brain injuries, and that recovery is possible.

07/24/2015 - 11:54

Posted by: kcampbell

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By Patricia Kime: Troops who worked at burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as those exposed to multiple dust storms during war-zone deployments, have higher rates of common respiratory illnesses like asthma and emphysema, as well as rare lung disorders, according to data drawn from the Veterans Affairs Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry.

07/24/2015 - 11:52

Posted by: kcampbell

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By Matthew Daly: The Department of Veterans Affairs faces a serious numbers problem — multiple, in fact. It can't count how many veterans died while waiting to sign up for health care. It says some VA hospitals may have to close if the agency can't get $2.5 billion. And a year after scandal rocked the department, congressional Republicans want to know why the number of employees fired is so low.